Buying into the dream

Stressed business executives have usually turned to big boys' toys to blow away the cobwebs. An executive sports car or, perhaps, a company yacht bobbing in some sun-drenched Mediterranean port used to be the playthings of choice.

But the trend is now turning to the vastly more affordable entertainment of the Harley-Davidson lifestyle. And that means get-away-from-it-all fun has almost reached the grasp of the factory floor.

Last year, a Health and Safety Executive survey of work-related illness estimated that around half a million people in Britain believed they were experiencing work-related stress at a level that was making them ill. So the need for a stress-busting outlet becomes even more vital.

Among Oxfordshire's top executives, former F1 team boss Eddie Jordan owns a V-Rod, and several Harleys have been owned by publisher Malcolm Forbes, entrepreneur Sir Peter de Savary, Ford Great Britain chief executive Roelant De Waard and now-retired HSBC boss Sir John Bond.

And while stars from the sporting and Hollywood worlds like Michael Schumacher and George Clooney are Harley addicts, customers range right the way through to people earning the average wage.

In fact Harleys are far more attainable than many people appreciate - the Sportster range starts at just over £5,000.

And now Europeans, buying into the two-wheeled American dream, have fuelled a sales boom of the iconic marque, surging by 15.6 per cent in Europe during the second quarter of 2006, compared with the same period last year.

Based at the firm's high-tech Euro HQ in Oxford, H-D Europe's vice president, John Russell, welcomed the results, saying that they reflect the growing appeal of the US bikes to European riders - many new to the Harley-Davidson experience.

There is a Euro-trend towards the VRSC range - machines offering all the head-turning good looks synonymous with the Harley-Davidson name, while delivering plenty of performance and the technology and handling characteristics that many European riders demand.

News of Harley-Davidson's robust European sales figures came shortly after the announcement that the famous Milwaukee company was planning a revived line-up for its 2007 range.

And for the first time, the US company chose Great Britain for the big launch. So, instead of American desert backdrops, or shots of twisting Rocky Mountain roads, a classic English hotel, Stapleford Park, near Melton Mowbray, Leicester, was chosen to set the scene.

And on a typically English, blustery, gloomy day, it was revealed that there would be a completely new 1584cc, twin cam 96/96B engine for its 2007 Touring, Dyna and Softail Big Twin' motorcycles.

This would be coupled to a new, highly- sophisticated active air intake and exhaust system for European Big Twin models, with the aim of significantly improving power, torque and sound quality - while meeting EC noise and emissions regulations.

Another key feature for the 2007 Big Twin models is the six-speed Cruise Drive transmission, which was first introduced on Dyna models last year. Electronic sequential port fuel injection will be featured on all Harley-Davidson models, including Sportsters, for 2007.

A new Smart Security System, offering hands-free operation, will also be standard equipment on all 2007 models.

Harley has always been quite clever with upgrades, battling to keep everything the same - but better. Say the word Harley' and a visual picture instantly emerges. It is that picture that Harley wishes us all to continue to see - even though there may be subtle, technological changes underneath the bike's skin.

As Mr Russell said: "Harley-Davidson is renowned for its heritage and traditions, which date back over a century. But we continue to innovate and the new Twin Cam 96/96B engine, which offers up to 19 per cent more torque than its predecessor, is firm proof of our commitment to investing in technologies.

"This ensures our V-Twin motorcycles constantly evolve and offer our riders a unique but thoroughly modern riding experience."

At the launch, I tried out the new 2007 Fatboy and the Electra Glide Classic. Both certainly boasted a noticeable boost in power but the thing that really felt amazing was the feather-light clutch.

That, linked to the new gearbox, gave the urge to click up and down gears - all totally unnecessary with the increase in low-down torque. I suppose I was just playing, so I could get into sixth and see that little green light come on inside the clock.

But it was the smallest bike, the Street Bob, which really impressed me. Named after the post- World War habit of buying up old ex-military Harleys and then cutting off everything to save weight (ie, to bob), this machine was just pure country-lane fun.

A word of warning for those who end up buying a Harley. The purchase price is just the start.

Remember, as the H-D slogan goes: You are not buying a bike, but a lifestyle . . .' There are thousands of genuine parts and accessories for customers to add a unique touch to their bike. In recent years the catalogue has been in excess of 800 pages.

The enormous range of products include touring luggage, customised seats, windshields, custom handlebars, your own range of fuel gauges/speedometers, specialist paint schemes, storage covers, cleaning tools and products, specialist exhausts and hand and foot controls.

And then there is the final touch to the US biking lifestyle - the latest Harley-Davidson MotorClothes collection.

Fancy buying that bandana?